U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 26, 2025

Matt Schalk

The Broadmoor (East Course)

Quick Quotes

Q. The puzzle you and Hailey have tried to solve together, where does today rank?

MATT SCHALK: Well, it's pretty special to be here, obviously with your daughter. (With emotion) Sorry, I can never do this. I do it every time. It's really special.

You're playing a game that's so male dominant, and you come out here with your daughter, and -- here she is. Now she'll make me happier. It's amazing to share it with her. She keeps me grounded. She's a big part of my success. I think the reason I'm having so much success late in my career is because of just watching her and learning to play from her.

Q. When she's on the bag with you, how much insight is she able to provide and how differently does she see things from how you're seeing them?

MATT SCHALK: Honestly, she sees them better than I see them. She reads greens better than I read greens. She talks through the shots a little bit more than I do, except for hole No. 16 today. That's all right.

Yeah, so she's become a smart player, so that's very helpful to me.

Q. What's it mean to you to take your first shot at a national championship in your home state?

MATT SCHALK: It's amazing. At the end of the day, I'm a club professional. I go to work every day. It's an honor to be a part of this, the history part of golf, and I was honored. I was honored to be there, had a lot of friends here, and it was really special.

Q. Going back to Hailey for a second, you spent so much time of your life guiding her through this game. How has the dynamic been with her now trying to guide you in this, and is it seamless with the way you guys interact and figure out that dynamic?

MATT SCHALK: It is. I can get fiery out there and stuff, and she's always, Hey, it's okay. Next shot. She's always onto the next shot. I think that's a great dynamic because that's how she played golf her whole life is not getting too excited if she made a double. Me, on the other hand, sometimes I make a double and I'm ready to go home. It's nice having her there to calm me down.

Q. Do you see a little bit of you in her and vice versa, she in you, with how it works out there?

MATT SCHALK: In me, I'm learning from her. I see a lot in her that I want, and that's the calmness, trying to stay calm under pressure. For me, I'm out there for five hours with a racing heart and nerves that you're fighting because you're not used to this situation. For me watching her, she's always so calm.

Q. What are the fairway conversations like and just walking in between shots?

MATT SCHALK: Those are fun sometimes. We talk a lot about kind of her career, when she played in different junior events and different shots that she's had at the same time that are similar to shots that I have. So it also takes us back to -- brings back memories of her being little.